


Halcyon sweet Halcyon

by Anxious_Alice_05



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Aliens, Basically all OCs - Freeform, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Kahlee isn't with David cause he's her uncle (ew), More tags to be added, No Beta, Political Alliances, Politics, We Die Like Men, impending doom, no one is in character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-10
Updated: 2020-12-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:06:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26393878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anxious_Alice_05/pseuds/Anxious_Alice_05
Summary: Sequel to "Our Fair Lady""Muffled jazz swum through the haze of cigarette smoke and night air.  A man sat on the stoop, staring up at the moon.  It hung low over the desert with a thousand stars.  The mesas stood underneath them pridefully.  Sage danced on the breeze, mingling with crickets and music.  The view was nice, but Ashley was waiting on him inside.  Her set would be done by now, and Vega knew he'd have to get to work kicking the stragglers out.  Stubbing out the cigarette, he stood to leave when something caught his eye.  It was hurtling towards the ground, then flashed brightly.  He heard the impact a second later."Tags will expand as the story does!
Relationships: Female Shepard & David Anderson, Female Shepard & Garrus Vakarian, Female Shepard/Garrus Vakarian
Kudos: 2
Collections: Mass Effect-Shakarian





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This will be updated on a two week schedule (although some parts will be early).  
> Jane Shepard is seventeen-eighteen and Garrus is a couple years older.

Muffled jazz swum through the haze of cigarette smoke and night air. A man sat on the stoop, staring up at the moon. It hung low over the desert with a thousand stars. The mesas stood underneath them pridefully. Sage danced on the breeze, mingling with crickets and music. The view was nice, but Ashley was waiting on him inside. Her set would be done by now, and Vega knew he'd have to get to work kicking the stragglers out. Stubbing out the cigarette, he stood to leave when something caught his eye. It was hurtling towards the ground, then flashed brightly. He heard the impact a second later.

Vega ran back in and skidded around the corner to Anderson’s table. They'd served together many years ago, so Anderson would make a point to visit Lola’s whenever he had leave. “Rear-Admiral! Something just-”. The glass blew out and rained down on everyone inside.

His ears rang, but slowly the sound began filtering in again. There's a crunch of glass. Anderson offered him a hand, “What happened son?”. “Out there, he pointed a shaky finger, “Something crashed in the desert.”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did y'all think? Tell me down below! The jazz is Murder Brood Parts 1 and 2 by Simon and Andrew Hale. Beautiful shit right there. Also, the main theme of LA Noire is was an inspiration too.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard meets one vaguely familiar face and her uncle in the base.

An hour flies by

“Here you go.”. A cup of coffee warms Jane’s icy hands as the guard leaves. They found her pod an hour ago and brought her into the base. Fluorescent lights paint everything in harsh, flat colors. She already hates it here. The wind outside was colder than even Shanxi’s, yet the single moon brought her to tears. All hearts yearn for home she guesses.

The door creaks open and she reflexively reaches for a pistol that isn't there. Damn combat training. But her hand, and jaw, drop at the man walking in. He cuts an imposing figure, and his deep voice rumbles a second later. “Good evening Ms?”. “Shepard,” then she stands and salutes, “Jane Shepard, Cadet Commander of Alliance colony Shanxi’s JROTC, sir.”. He blinks, but continues the relentless path forward, “At ease, Cadet Commander.”. She sits and he joins her.

Admiral Steven Hackett leans forward, steepling his fingers. The light above makes the gaunt and shadows of his face even more apparent. “Cadet Commander, the Alliance Brass launched an investigation into Shanxi six months ago. It wrapped yesterday. We concluded the entire colony was decimated. If you'll pardon my language, how the hell are you sitting there?”. Jane nodded stonily, “I was there during the massacre. That was my conclusion too. My survival is owed to my stupidity,” she shakes her head. “That night my boyfriend and I snuck out into the dunes together. It started then. He went back to town, I stayed. Simple as that.”.

Hackett finally meets her eyes, “You survived, Cadet Commander. How did you get here, instead of dying on Shanxi?”. A crooked grin splits her face, “Admiral, I would prefer to have this conversation in private. Too many listening ears and peeping eyes.”. Jane nods to the one way glass and bugged lights. “Shepard-”. The door bursts open and the Rear-Admiral runs in.

“Uncle David?!”. He wraps her up in a bear hug, squeezing all the air out of her lungs. She feels a billion emotions at once. First relief, then a brief moment of contentment, a wash of grief, and a twang of pain from her ribs. “Uncle David...you're breaking...my ribs,” Jane manages to wheeze out. He holds her at arm’s length and just stares. Admiral Hackett’s voice cuts through the air and ends the moment.

“Anderson, what did I say about interrupting interrogations?”. He gives a long suffering sigh, but David ignores him. “I can hardly believe it. After a year and a half, you're back home…”. A few tears well up from his eyes and he gives Jane another bone-crushing hug. Hackett coughs and David leaves her to sit by his side. He wipes at his face, “We’ll catch up later, ok kid?”. “Sounds good sir,” and a smile graces her face again.

Hackett allows a moment of silence before forging on. “As I was saying Shepard, you should not even be alive, and on Earth at that. Our surveillance of you is crucial.”. She lifts a hand to take a sip of cold coffee and David’s eyes widen. He straightens, and it seems Hackett follows his sightline. “Cadet-Commander, how-”. Jane’s eyes cut to the Admiral, “All due respect sir, I would prefer to have this conversation in private.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I imagine this whole bit taking place in the town from Scooby Doo and the Alien Invaders.


	3. Vega y Dos Bastardos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A man named Vega meets with the Cadet-Commander and a couple bastards.

25 minutes of walking and waiting for clearance later

Jane walks into the conference room and is greeted by David Anderson, Steve Hackett, and an unknown man. She sits across the table and eyes them all. Hackett speaks first.

“Cadet-Commander Shepard,” he gestures at the large, brawny man. Tattoos run up and down his neck and arms. “This is Lieutenant James Vega. We've had him in deep cover for about five years.” She continues to stare at him skeptically when Anderson butts in, “Jane, I would trust Vega with my life.”

She nods, dismissing the issue. Then, she eyes the Admiral, “We aren’t bugged here? No cameras?” He too nods sharply.

Shepard stands from the table, “Gentleman, don't do anything rash. I won’t hurt you.” All three men turn to each other doubtfully. She shuts the door and looks over her shoulder, “Mind if I turn out the lights?” A brief moment of deliberation, Vega answers, “No objections here Cadet-Commander.” She flips the switch, “Just Shepard, sir.”

She lifts her arm, summoning the omni-tool. The men gasp, this tech is merely science fiction on Earth. “Tsk tsk, Admiral Hackett, I thought we weren't bugged.” The sound of listening devices squealing in their death throes seems to echo in the dark room. He nods again, “My apologies Shepard. You have been MIA for eighteen months in an undisclosed location. It was just a precaution.” Vega is still gaping at her tool.

She stands at the table’s head, opposite a large blank wall. Jane lifts her arm, the implant flares to life again in bright, burning orange. “This is called an omni-tool. It’s similar to a holographic version of the twenty-first century smartphone.” She switches it to projection and starts in on the presentation.

The main race profiles fade in, “These are the Asari, Krogan, Turians, Salarians, Quarians, and Batarians. Although there are many, many other races, I have only encountered these six personally.” Shepard gives them a rundown of each, their leaders, and her interactions with them.

“Any questions?” David Anderson has his head in his hands and Vega looks about the same, but Hackett’s eyes are clear and sharp. “Just a few, Cadet-Commander. How did you come in contact with this... intergalactic civilization?” She straightens, “Batarian slavers are suspected in the attack on Shanxi. I was rescued by a Turian patrol, and then they took me to the galaxy’s ruling body. After that, I completed combat training and a rite of passage with the Krogan people. Humans are quite physically similar to Asari, and as such, I have spent quite a bit of time on their homeworld. One of my best friends is from Thessia. The-”

David interrupts her, ”Is that them?” Jane blinks, “Sorry, what?” He lifts his head and catches her gaze, “Your ring. Is that who you married, that friend?” She stands there, stupefied, and then begins laughing. Real hearty deep laughs, tears streaming down her face. “Cadet-Commander?” She waves the Admiral off, “I’m fine sir,” she wipes at her eye. “It's just been a while. To answer your question Uncle David, no I did not marry Liara. Never in a thousand years.”

They sit expectantly, waiting for her answer, “I don’t see how my personal relationships play into the bigger picture here gentlemen.” The admiral speaks next, “Shepard, this could be vital information for negotiations.” “Sir, I was sent here to warn Earth, not play political games. An enemy larger than all of us is fast approaching. The Citadel Council personally entrusted me with this mission. Will you listen or pry further into my personal life?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really liked writing the part about death throes. It just fed that chaotic brain goblin, ya know?
> 
> Anyway, I apologize for not updating. School has been eating my lunch of late and I suspect it'll just be getting worse as time wears on. I'm having inspiration problems with Our Fair Lady and have published all I had prepared for it. This has far, far more written ahead for it than its predecessor.
> 
> I won't lie, Vega is like my fave so far (aside from Sol, but she hasn't made an appearance yet). My interpretation of him is really snappy and fun to be around. As his run time goes on I'll add more expletives and such in Spanish, but as of yet I don't feel like I have a good enough grasp on it.
> 
> Another little note, in ME1 I don't usually hang around Eden Prime, but damn. There's like little bits of sidestory you can like totally miss. I'll upload another chapter after this, but be warned it's like two mediocre paragraphs to build suspense.
> 
> Stay safe,  
> Alice


	4. Non-Specialized Cells

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now do you see why the admirals were dos bastardos? Just a little bit of science-y talk for y'all.

She flicks on the lights while the bastards ruminate. Jane doesn’t think it’s unreasonable to keep her relationships private, aside from the ring of course. Truth be told, they aren’t legally bonded, but that’s beside the point. She mechanically walks over and sits down in her chair opposite them, brain a thousand light-years away in a small garden overlooking alien steppes.

“I’ll cave, what enemy we talking about?” Vega watches her closely. “The Batarians have made first contact with a new race called the Vorcha. Our intel suggests they can evolve to an environment in less than a generation through the use of non-differentiated clusters of cells. This boon also makes them resistant to disease-” Hackett coughs, and Anderson smiles, “English Jane.” “Basically, their cells are, for the most part, not specialized. Whenever a vorcha needs to heal or adapt, those cells will move to the affected area and specialize. Due to this, they can regrow a limb in a matter of months.” The Admiral remained unaffected, but Vega’s face is drained of blood. “Shit.” “Anything else Shepard?” “They have a maximum life expectancy of twenty years. Oh, and the Batarians are training and arming them to double their army’s size.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if the science isn't accurate, I tried my best. Who said Wikipedia isn't a reliable source? (Actually, it is very reliable because anyone can edit it. Sounds bad, but that also means if someone comes through and writes word salad another user will catch/fix it. Pretty cool right?)
> 
> Quiero dormir. Also, and I need to add this to the tags, the reapers aren't really the issue, it's more the Batarians. Like the Old Machines legit do not exist (or if they do are like 2000 years out from showing up again). Let me know if that science-y shit ain't right or if you've got any kind feedback!
> 
> -Alice!


	5. The Arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone meets up and has a big party!

There’s a ping oh her tool, told them? She blocks out the chatter for a second, Just did. Ready to land? Sol takes a moment to respond, convoy hovering around luna, tevos getting antsy.

“Gentlemen, our guests are here.” Anderson’s eyes bulge out of their sockets, “What?!” “I didn’t exactly take the subway, sir.” His head falls into his hands as Vega lets loose a string of curses. Only Hackett remains composed, “We need to clear the base, Anderson. No civilians for fifty miles.” The Rear-Admiral composes himself quickly, “Sir, Rachel is only twenty-five.” “Doesn’t matter. Evacuate, tell them we’ve had a chemical spill, I don’t care, just get them out.” Anderson stood and saluted before leaving, “Aye aye sir.” Admiral Hackett turns to Vega next, “You have a family in town?” He nods, “Wife and two kids, sir.” “Take my pass. Get them here, Anderson will handle the rest.” The man looks a bit shocked, but covers it well, “Th-thank you, sir.” He leaves too, and they lapse into silence.

The Admiral steeples his hands and stares off over her shoulder for a second, but then focuses on Jane. “Cadet-Commander, you and I need to talk.” She shrugs and leans back in the chair, “Fair enough, I did just drop out of the sky after being MIA for over six months.” “Will this...relationship be a problem?” She shakes her head, exasperated, “No sir. We’re both soldiers who can be professional on the job.” He continues staring her down, like she’s a living, breathing enigma.

15 minutes later

Jane shivers in the freezing desert night. Dress blues and a bun don’t do much against the cold. They had ridden out to the middle of nowhere at Sol’s direction.

Abruptly, something flashes above them. The small ship descends quickly, before hovering a bit. That you? She waves up at Sol, and they take it as a go-ahead.

Anderson and Hackett stand behind her. They haven’t been outfitted with translators yet, so she’ll be doing all the talking. Shepard had learned the Turian language while she was there...er, enough they would be able to understand at least. Her translator had been removed as a precaution. The shuttle finally settles down onto the Earth. A ramp flips out of the side and she gives her uncle a reassuring smile.

Of those races, she listed earlier, five are present. The Batarians are now considered a terrorist regime and treated as such. Tevos steps out, Liara trailing as a secondary representative. The matriarch serenely nods while her aide beams ear to ear. After them, Wrex and Grunt stomp out. They throw her sharp grins. Tali practically skips down, father trailing behind. Valern joins the Asari party, Mordin briskly following. Finally, the Turians come out. Sparatus leads, Castis sharply glancing at her before turning back to the councilor. Two other members of the envoy, the organizer, and her guard, round out the party.

Sol clicks in greeting, and Jane returns it with a smile. Her guard fiddles with his rifle, and she catches a glimpse of his face. Those, deep, blue slashes of color, soft, silvery plates, and crystalline eyes. It’s him...her bondmate, husband, language can’t describe the deep connection of souls. She blinks back tears, resists the urge to run at him, and turns to the man in charge. “Admiral Hackett, this is everyone.” He nods haltingly, taking in the small crowd.

“Welcome to Earth. I trust your journey was pleasant. Unfortunately, I wasn’t aware you all would be coming. We can prep some quarters if needed. I’m Admiral Steven Hackett of the United Federal Republic of the Systems Alliance.” Jane translates, but pauses at the end, then smiles and says (in Turian), “I’m glad y’all didn’t strand me here.” A light chuckle weaves its way through the party. Hackett shoots her a warning glare. She drops her smile, “A small joke sir. Many of these people are like family to me. Some of them, we’ve battled and bled together.” At that moment, Garrus coughed lightly. No one else looks at him, except her.

The Turians had found the Golden Record years ago and decrypted some of the human languages from there. Her arrival had helped smooth out some kinks, but at present only they could understand English and it was questionable at best.

“Sir, would you like to do introductions, or?” The Admiral eyes all of them sharply, “What would you recommend, Cadet Commander?” She looks out at her allies, noticing the tired droops in their posture, “I would suggest allowing everyone to settle in for a night before starting meetings, sir. However, it would be everyone's best interests if we were acquainted.”

They start on the far right with the Asari. First in Turian, “Admiral Steven Hackett and Rear Admiral David Anderson, Systems Alliance.” Then in English, “Councilor Tevos of the Citadel Council and Doctor Liara T’Soni.” Thankfully, the women remember what she had taught them and shake hands with the Admiral.

The rest of the line went much the same, except Tali and Castis. The former jumped out of line and hugged her tightly. The humans readied their weapons, but she waves them off. A long string of vowels languidly flows out of her helmet. “I missed you too, Tali.” Her friend releases her reluctantly and allows them to continue down the line. The latter is not as kind. Castis bares his teeth at his name in her mouth, then becomes civil when Sparatus nudges him. The Admiral glances between the pair, but Jane nods. She’ll explain later.

Sol greets them with a soft trill, then hugs her sister-by-marriage close. Jane almost tears up but resists the urge to. Releasing her, the Turian searches her face, looking for any sign of pain or injury. When she finds none, she steps back into line. “Admirals, meet Solana Vakarian, coordinator of this event. She planned the voyage, secured supplies, and ensured everyone’s safety.” She introduces the humans in Turian, but Garrus snags her gaze.

He’s staring at her, just waiting. For a split second, she considers...what could be politely put as PDA, but as they aren’t technically bonded by law, it would be inappropriate in front of the councilors and admirals. Also...Castis might have an aneurysm. Ultimately, she decides to introduce him. “Admiral Hackett, Rear-Admiral Anderson, allow me to introduce you to Solana’s brother, Garrus Vakarian.” Her breath hitches a bit on his name, but only Uncle David notices. “He’s a Turian sharpshooter, marine, and damn good soldier. We’ve worked together on a few missions.” To him, she says, “These men are Admiral Hackett and Rear-Admiral Anderson.” He nods, eyes piercing.

The human Admirals withdraw back to their vehicle. The aliens split up. Councilors and major players retreat, while the younger generation rushes Jane. She gets swallowed up in bone-crushing hugs. Grunt finally releases her. She takes a deep breath and feels a taloned hand on her elbow. Turning to the owner, a grin crosses her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another update! I thought I posted more than I actually did last time, so there's some catch-up here.  
> Sol's texting is purposefully written that way, it's not a mistake.  
> Our Fair Lady is slowly coming along, but I'm in a bit of a rough spot with it. The update for that will be out soon.  
> Sorry if there's issues with tense (this chapter was written in isolated periods over a while).  
> Hope you enjoyed!
> 
> -Alice!

**Author's Note:**

> What did y'all think? Tell me down below! The jazz is Murder Brood Parts 1 and 2 by Simon and Andrew Hale. Beautiful shit right there. Also, the main theme of LA Noire is was an inspiration too.


End file.
